Building Heat and Mass Transfer

I would also like to expand my research work in HVAC of buildings, building heat transfer and design of energy-efficient buildings.    In India, buildings consume about 32% of the total primary energy, and space conditioning (heating and cooling) accounts for about 45% and 31% of the energy usage in residential and commercial buildings, respectively. Thus, space conditioning in buildings constitutes a large portion of the primary energy consumption. As the global temperatures rise due to climate change, the energy need for space heating is projected to decrease, while space cooling needs will increase. Thus, in India, where space cooling requirements are much larger than heating requirements, climate change can lead to a substantial increase in building energy consumption. In addition to climate change, demand for space conditioning will further increase in India due to growth in population, income, and floor space. Thus, solutions are urgently required to reduce the energy use for space conditioning in India, which will also help decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings and combat climate change. This research aims to reduce building energy consumption in India by using passive techniques such as incorporating insulation and phase change materials (PCM) in the building envelope (walls and roof) and making effective use of night ventilation. However, the successful implementation of these techniques is dependent on the building construction and the climatic conditions; thus, the solutions need to be tailor-made for the specific construction practices and climate conditions prevalent in India. It is anticipated that judicious implementation of various passive techniques in buildings could significantly reduce energy consumption and help to combat climate change.